1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

The world of classic cars and the art world have a lot in common – the determination of value based on collectors’ desires, the focus on originality, condition and provenance, the exclusivity of industry events… Yet, both worlds hardly mingle, which is all the more surprising since the car has a firm place in art and some of the most famous artists have explored this subject throughout the history of the automobile, from Dalí to Lichtenstein, from Ruscha to Gursky. Maybe it has to do with the fact that a car as subject in art has got nothing to do with the real thing, or has it? Well, there is an exception, and an exceptional one at that: the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing is both a car and a work of art. Not in the proverbial sense, in that it is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful sports cars ever built, but quite literally so. We are referring to the very car that one of the most iconic artists of all time, Andy Warhol, chose to portray in 1986, the very car which would launch what today is possibly the world’s most renowned series of art works created for a commercial brand: the Cars Series by Andy Warhol, commissioned by Daimler-Benz to chronicle the history of the automobile in celebration of its centenary anniversary.

THE CAR ITSELF- CHASSIS NUMBER 198.040.5500629

Easily identified by the car's previous registration number and documents, “Andy’s 300SL” was found and acquired by BRABUS, the world-renowned luxury mobility brand out of Germany’s Ruhr-Region. Two years later, after more than 4,500 hours of meticulous manual work as part of the BRABUS 6-Star Restoration program, this iconic Gullwing was masterfully brought back to life in accordance with original specifications and an impeccable attention to detail. The result, a level of historic authenticity which acknowledges that this is not just the most special of all 1,400 units of this model ever built, it is a piece of art history.

Before rising to international fame, this 300 SL Gullwing was sold to its first owner in Paris in August of 1955. Originally finished in Silver Grey paintwork over a blue leather interior, often thought of as the quintessential colour combination for these cars, it was optioned with the very desirable Rudge wheels, sporting ‘knock-off’ wheel nuts rather than the standard, round hubcaps. Despite being sold new in France, it would later move to Germany, where it became registered ‘EI-DR 1’ in May of 1981 when acquired by Dr. Heinz Noeth, who would go on to keep the car until it was acquired by BRABUS in 2020. The car’s German ‘Fahrzeugbrief’ (registration document) inextricably ties that registration number to chassis number 198.040.5500629, the very car presented here.

Further affirming the car’s mechanical authenticity and correctness, BRABUS submitted the car to Mercedes-Benz Classic for a full inspection which resulted in the issue of a ‘Hersteller-Expertise’, meticulously documenting the vehicles major mechanical components and confirming their authenticity against factory records. Please contact an RM Sotheby’s specialist should you wish to see this document.

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